A Quick Post

Every mindful of running up the internet cafe bills, as Jane Ann mentioned, I'm just doing a quick post. I'm in a place called Cyber Cube just off the Blvd. St. Germain near St. Michel. I'll give them a plug since they're so nice here, even with a bunch of English keyboards, which is a real plus. I will have to save pictures till when I get back, because I really don't know how to post pictures from a cafe, and I can't get my husband away from his computer at work long enough to post. And even he doesn't have a steady hook up. We're sort of squatters, you could say!

We went to the Louvre yesterday and paid respect to the old favorites, including the Mona Lisa; it wasn't even as crowded as sometimes, so the viewing was good. Viewing the people is part of the fun as well. The variety of nationalities and types there is truly amazing. Then after a light dinner in the apartment we went and sat in a cafe for a couple of hours, people watched some more, and drank some more wine. A nice life, and I know it! Now I'm going to do a quick catch up on other people's news.

Hello from Paris

Thanks to everyone for all the kind "bon voyage" responses to my last post. I can't answer individually but I truly appreciate understanding of my trip jitters. We have been in France a week now, Paris since Monday, and all is well. Our apartment is a bit bigger than the one we had last year, although no more elegant. Since the euro is $1.36, I am doing lots of cooking, and we go out for coffee or a drink after dinner. The city is not particularly crowded at the moment and the weather is cloudy and cool, quite pleasant actually. Tonight is a free night at museums all over Paris, and after dinner we plan to go to Quai Branley which is, I think, a sort of anthropological museum, a good thing to see free.

I think of all you needlework/fabric people all the time! The shop windows are full of beautiful bags, blouses, jackets, even shoes with needlework and embroidery embellishments. Jewelry is even bigger than it has been, beads everywhere, and the hot color for spring seems to be a bright green. Turquoise seems to be over, a good thing IMHO. I haven't made it to Le Vouvray fabric shop yet, but intend to, although I won't buy much, if anything.

Au revoir, a bientot

Tomorrow we're leaving for our four week stay in Paris, so I'll be posting only occasionally since I don't know how to post pictures from an internet cafe, and the place my husband works isn't really conducive to one more person hanging out. I hope to read blogs enough to keep in touch, however. So everyone keep up the interesting work! Give me lot of interesting news and WIP.

I couldn't get an idea of what sort of handwork project to work on while I'm away, so I finally just took two small pieces of hand painted fabric that I THINK have an interesting design, layered them, and plan to hand quilt them heavily, with the hope of enhancing the design. It might even give me a reason to spurge on beautiful thread and beads in the needlework department of the Bon Marche.

I'm not really excited about this trip: partly that's my gloomy disposition, partly unresolved issues here, partly an aching back which makes me worry about the omnipresent stairs in Paris, and partly regret that I didn't work harder on improving my French. But how ungrateful to complain about a trip to Paris, so I'll just post this picture to get everyone in the mood!

WIP and a Weekend

Last Thursday I went to stay for a long weekend with my friend in the D.C. area, and my husband surprised me by flying up on Saturday. We did lots of sightseeing and shopping, and on Saturday had lunch with three other women from our high school class who live in the area. There are about half a dozen women, and they get together regularly to touch base; this is about the third time I've been able to join them. It's a strange thing that although these were not my best friends in high school, there is a real bond in coming from the same roots, and the get together is always enjoyable. Here we are, a Virginia state official, a NSF administrator, a former youth minister writing children books, and two retired teachers.

Sunday Jean, Don, my husband and I drove to Barboursville Vineyards in the scenic Virginia countryside for a wonderful tasting and Italian lunch. Although we look a bit strange here, the tasting had just begun.


A bit of scenery (the horses are a must for proper atmosphere in this part of the state):



Yesterday I was able to finish the top of the baby quilt I started with the alphabet panel a few weeks ago. I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out. In theory, I thought that color combination would work, but as I worked on it, I had a few doubts. I'm going to have to put it aside until we come back from Europe in a month, but it's good to have some progress.